Case
Homebound Student

I have a student currently that is homebound due to health issues. Every week I send materials to this student- the handouts I will use, vocabulary lists, etc. for the homebound teacher to use. However, I teach foreign language and many of the things I do in class are organic and refer to classroom issues and I feel this student is not gaining what she really needs to communicate. She also has not turned in any assignments in over three weeks at this point. I have talked to her mother about waiting until her daughter can be in class to try a foreign language or shifting to online learning so she can move at her own pace, but the mother is resistant. I really think this move- either to try again next year or to go to online learning- would be best for the student. How should I approach the situation without stepping on the mom's toes too much?

Posted on: 10/18/15 | Views: 1135
Solution #1
Top Solution
I think that you should speak with your administration about the situation and possibly set up a meeting with the parent. I think that if you professionally explain the situation to the parent and show the negative effects that the current situation is having on the student then the parent will come around. However, you may be unaware of some situation which is causing her to have those feelings. Either way, healthy conversations are always a good starting point.

If I were in this situation, I would exactly do this.

yes i agree with this solution

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Solution #2
I would begin recording my classes or offer the student the option to Skype into your classroom. I was in a similar situation and even though I could not fully participate in the activities in the classroom, I was able to benefit from virtually seeing what was going on and taking away pertinent information.
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Solution #3
I think that maybe you should get an administrator or school counselor involved. They might be able to approach the situation from a different perspective.
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Solution #4
Before speaking with the admin team I would try maybe recording how to do the work then the student can see you do the work etc. Then if this does not work I would then speak with admin to express concerns. I would check with the homebound teacher to see if they have the homework, but I would apply the same homework rules for the homebound student as to those who are physically present in the classroom.
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Solution #5
I would explain and stress to the mom that your teaching method is tailored to those students in class and you cater your lessons to real class situation, therefore as to the mother's child not to fall behind, she should try either waiting until next year or online.
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Solution #6
There are a lot of questions I have regarding the student's situation that would reflect my answer, so I will assume that this student is capable enough to complete assignments on her own at the least. Have you been able to figure out why the student has not turned in any assignments for 3 weeks? Could this be because of a serious health issue that you were not informed of or some other situation that required the student to focus her time elsewhere? If you could gain more information on this matter, it would be easier to determine if this student needs to switch to online learning. If the mother continues to be resistant, maybe you can ask your administration what their thoughts are and how they think the situation would be handled best. Some schools are more lenient with parents while others are not.
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Solution #7
I think that if the student wants to continue and feels that she can handle the work load then let her. If she is going to fail, then have a discussion about the alternatives, but I feel that it is important for the student to be apart of that decision.

I would never do this! This is wrong!

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